CHAPTER 179: CHAPTER 13 COUNTY CHAMPION

Gu Chengyu exited the examination hall’s main gate, where Mr. Gu and the others were waiting eagerly.

"How was it? Was this examination difficult?" Uncle He was somewhat worried. After all, it involved a direct interaction with the Lord County Magistrate, and he feared his son might get nervous upon meeting the magistrate, causing any mistakes that would be unfavorable. This was the final trial; everything that was achieved so far must not be wasted!

"Uncle He! Rest assured! The Lord County Magistrate is approachable, and the questions this time were not difficult! Actually, having passed the first four rounds, although it’s not absolutely guaranteed to pass the county examination, the chance of being eliminated is much lower. Just wait for the good news!"

He Shunian usually performed well in the private school, although not as dazzling as Ye Zhiqiu, but still commendable.

"That’s good to hear! That’s good to hear! Tomorrow should be the last announcement day, right? I’m just waiting for your good news!" Uncle He was somewhat relieved after Gu Chengyu reassured him with a few words.

"I must say, this examination is really tough! Just the county examination consists of five rounds, and then there are two more exams to become a Scholar. It’s just like what people say, crossing five passes and slaying six generals! Becoming a Scholar is truly not easy!"

Mr. Gu, seeing Gu Chengyu looked fine, felt his son should be able to pass, which gave him leisure to lament the difficulty of the exams.

"Exactly! Previously, I always forced Hua to study, never giving him a moment’s rest. Now, thinking back, it was truly hard. After the county examination is over, I’ll let him rest for a couple of days."

Uncle Gu also sighed over the challenges the candidates faced. He had never participated in the examinations before and didn’t realize how hard they really were. It was only after accompanying the candidates these few days that he deeply appreciated the difficulties of the imperial examinations.

"Since ancient times, the imperial examination has been like a multitude crossing a single-log bridge, and one will be squeezed off if not standing firmly." It was just unexpected for Gu Chengyu that one day he would become one of these candidates, experiencing the imperial examinations of this era.

This time, they had been waiting for quite a while, as they still had to wait for the last one, Gu Wanhua.

Gu Wanhua was the last to come out, with a somewhat confused expression.

Uncle Gu couldn’t hold back any longer, "How was it? Did you pass?" Even though he heard from Gu Chengyu that no more candidates would likely be eliminated, he still couldn’t be at ease.

He knew his grandson’s capabilities; he barely passed the first two times. If one entered and the magistrate saw Hua’s weak foundation and marked him as failed, what then?

"I don’t know! The Lord County Magistrate only asked me one question, which I had luckily seen in a book before and had quite an impression of. After I answered, the magistrate didn’t say anything, so I really don’t know if I passed or not."

"You probably passed, don’t overthink it. The exam is done today, and the results will be announced tomorrow. Let’s go back and rest more!" All the other candidates had already left, and only Gu Chengyu and the others remained at the examination hall gate.

The next morning, the candidates at the inn rose early; everyone quickly tidied up and hurried to the announcement place.

"Chengyu! Hurry, everyone else has gone." By this time, Sun Xian couldn’t remain calm.

"Alright!" Gu Chengyu wiped his face, finally becoming a bit clear-headed and followed Sun Xian and the others out of the inn.

It was just dawn, with the pale blue sky still holding a few stars. Was it too early?

"Quick! Let’s get a good spot first; otherwise, we won’t be able to get to the front when the time comes."

Don’t think that only about thirty candidates are awaiting the examination results; it also includes the families of those candidates. Some candidates, despite failing, still wait for their familiar candidates to return together, hence there remains a considerable number of people checking the results.

After waiting for nearly an hour, the constable finally arrived to post the long announcement. This was the last round of the county examination, without seat numbers, so it ranked students by name, hence the term ’long announcement.’

Gu Chengyu squeezed forward, following Ye Zhiqiu. Luckily, there weren’t too many people; otherwise, given Ye Zhiqiu’s small stature, he would have been pushed out without even moving forward.

"Chengyu! Look quickly, you’re the county champion! You’re the top student again!" As soon as Gu Chengyu stood before the long announcement, he heard He Shunian, who had squeezed in front earlier, shout out.

Gu Chengyu looked at the posted red paper and indeed saw his name at the top, with his residence marked next to it, confirming it was him.

At that moment, Gu Chengyu felt quite calm. Achieving the top student was somewhat within his expectations; he did perform well in these rounds. Of course, it was not absolute as he never underestimated the ancients, knowing there were those more talented than him.

Having seen his name, he continued looking down; the second name was "Chenzhou," a name not unfamiliar, as it had been consistently within the top ten in the previous rounds, showing considerable ability.

Ye Zhiqiu was in the fourth position, which was quite prominent. Looking further down, Sun Xian ranked thirteenth, while He Shunian was in twenty-first place. Gu Chengyu, thinking of something, turned his gaze to the very last name. Upon seeing it, he raised his hand to rub his forehead, wondering if Hua had a feud with the last position?

No matter what, they all passed, and could go back to enjoy a good meal in celebration. It seemed like he hadn’t eaten breakfast upon coming out? He was feeling a bit hungry now!

"Grandpa! I passed! I can participate in the provincial examination now!" Gu Wanhua, having seen his own ranking, was aware of his ability level and knew he couldn’t achieve a high rank, so he planned to look from the back forward, not expecting that his name would be the very last one.

Upon seeing his name on the long announcement, he was delighted. After all, passing was all that mattered; who would care about the ranking? The first and last still attend the provincial examination, right?

However, he didn’t know that the first place in a county examination generally passes the provincial exam unless the paper is extremely poor. By performing slightly better, one’s rank can greatly improve — an unwritten rule in the officialdom. After all, it wouldn’t do for the county champion recommended by the county magistrate to fail right at the provincial examination, would it? That would be the chief examiner not giving face to the county magistrate!

"Congratulations, senior brothers! Congratulations, Hua! We can join the provincial examination together again!" Gu Chengyu sincerely congratulated the others.

The others responded in kind, "Congratulations to our junior brother on becoming county champion!"

On such a joyful day, Gu Wanhua surely picked pleasing words to say, "And congratulations to Little Uncle for claiming the top spot!"

"What? He actually became the county champion?" The candidate who had argued with Gu Chengyu at the inn also passed and, having just found his name on the long announcement, had no time to celebrate before hearing people around talking about the county champion. Turning back, he realized it was that little guy he had argued with at the inn, the very Gu Chengyu who consistently claimed first place in each of the five rounds!

"Hmph! I wonder if your knowledge can convince everyone!" The dissenting candidate thought to himself. Soon, the county champion’s paper would be posted, and he’d see then how long Gu Chengyu could remain arrogant!

Some people are just peculiar like that, always thinking what they can’t do, others can’t either.

Gu Chengyu and his companions were still joyfully discussing the upcoming provincial examination, which was in April, not too far off.

"Here comes the county champion’s paper!" The crowd became more agitated; whenever the champion’s paper was posted, it always sparked controversy or praise. The remaining scholars would engage in enthusiastic discussions, comparing their own work with it to see where the differences lay.

Several constables holding the paper smeared a layer of paste on the wall and then affixed the paper next to the long announcement.